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Volume 23, Number 4, Winter 2004
► www.nlma.nf.ca ^
Message from the Executive Director
Doctors, demographics and deficits
The fiscal challenges
facing the people of
Newfoundland and
Labrador are
formidable. Indeed,
many residents of this
province have
already had to
swallow some of the
bitter medicine
associated with spending restraint
measures which the government has
imposed over the last year. Even if
Premier Danny Williams' campaign to
secure the full and rightful entitlements of
the province's offshore resources is
entirely successful, the road to economic
security will not be without its trials and
tribulations, both for the government and
the people.
Unfortunately, both the problem and the
solution are more complicated than
merely harnessing more resource revenue
and tightening public expenditures. The
road to economic recovery requires the
conquering of a different kind of liability,
one that I would refer to as the
"demographic deficit". There is an urgent
need to reverse the long-standing
population hemorrhage that has been
plaguing this province. Current trends
indicate a growth of public services
consumption reflected by an aging
population and a corresponding decline
in young people who would normally be
fuelling the public system. This province
must attract a critical mass of working
age people over the next decade if we
are to achieve economic stability and
prosperity.
As a relative newcomer to
Newfoundland and Labrador (having
moved to St. John's three years ago from
Ontario), I can bear witness to the many
advantages of living in this great
1
On the line NLMA Executive Director Robert Ritter and President Dr. Andrew
Major participate in a province-wide teleconference meeting to discuss
preparations for the Association's new agreement with government.
province. But most prospective residents,
as I did, want to be sure that certain
fundamental needs will be met. Highest
on the list is timely, quality medical care.
In this context, the preservation of a
medical system that is and is seen to be
on par with the rest of Canada will be
an essential prerequisite to achieving the
province's economic aspirations.
Although the current situation is good,
the future prospects in this sector are
uncertain.
Approximately 25 per cent of the current
1,008 practicing physicians in the
province are over 55 and will need to
be replaced over the next decade. This
comes at a time when the global doctor
shortage is severe and the replacement
capacity of the system is limited.
Because the market forces that emerge
from a low-supply high-demand dynamic
do not distinguish between "have" and
"have not" provinces, we will need to
remain in step with the world around us
to ensure a relatively stable medical care
system. This means that compensation
must remain competitive and that the
working
environment and quality of life for
doctors in this province are comparable
to those in other parts of the country.
Premier Williams' efforts to achieve
economic stability and security for
Newfoundland and Labrador must
succeed because the very viability of the
province is at stake. All residents of the
province have an inherent obligation to
contribute to the effort and physicians
are not exempt from this responsibility.
The NLMA and all its members intend to
assist government in meaningful ways
that will make a difference. Indeed, we
have already launched a number of
important initiatives.
continued on page 3
Inserts with this issue
• NLMA 2005 wall calendar
• NLPDP bulletin
• OAAA Insurance Newsletter
NEXUS defined
A connected
group
or
series;
a bond,
a connection

Volume 23, Number 4, Winter 2004
► www.nlma.nf.ca ^
Message from the Executive Director
Doctors, demographics and deficits
The fiscal challenges
facing the people of
Newfoundland and
Labrador are
formidable. Indeed,
many residents of this
province have
already had to
swallow some of the
bitter medicine
associated with spending restraint
measures which the government has
imposed over the last year. Even if
Premier Danny Williams' campaign to
secure the full and rightful entitlements of
the province's offshore resources is
entirely successful, the road to economic
security will not be without its trials and
tribulations, both for the government and
the people.
Unfortunately, both the problem and the
solution are more complicated than
merely harnessing more resource revenue
and tightening public expenditures. The
road to economic recovery requires the
conquering of a different kind of liability,
one that I would refer to as the
"demographic deficit". There is an urgent
need to reverse the long-standing
population hemorrhage that has been
plaguing this province. Current trends
indicate a growth of public services
consumption reflected by an aging
population and a corresponding decline
in young people who would normally be
fuelling the public system. This province
must attract a critical mass of working
age people over the next decade if we
are to achieve economic stability and
prosperity.
As a relative newcomer to
Newfoundland and Labrador (having
moved to St. John's three years ago from
Ontario), I can bear witness to the many
advantages of living in this great
1
On the line NLMA Executive Director Robert Ritter and President Dr. Andrew
Major participate in a province-wide teleconference meeting to discuss
preparations for the Association's new agreement with government.
province. But most prospective residents,
as I did, want to be sure that certain
fundamental needs will be met. Highest
on the list is timely, quality medical care.
In this context, the preservation of a
medical system that is and is seen to be
on par with the rest of Canada will be
an essential prerequisite to achieving the
province's economic aspirations.
Although the current situation is good,
the future prospects in this sector are
uncertain.
Approximately 25 per cent of the current
1,008 practicing physicians in the
province are over 55 and will need to
be replaced over the next decade. This
comes at a time when the global doctor
shortage is severe and the replacement
capacity of the system is limited.
Because the market forces that emerge
from a low-supply high-demand dynamic
do not distinguish between "have" and
"have not" provinces, we will need to
remain in step with the world around us
to ensure a relatively stable medical care
system. This means that compensation
must remain competitive and that the
working
environment and quality of life for
doctors in this province are comparable
to those in other parts of the country.
Premier Williams' efforts to achieve
economic stability and security for
Newfoundland and Labrador must
succeed because the very viability of the
province is at stake. All residents of the
province have an inherent obligation to
contribute to the effort and physicians
are not exempt from this responsibility.
The NLMA and all its members intend to
assist government in meaningful ways
that will make a difference. Indeed, we
have already launched a number of
important initiatives.
continued on page 3
Inserts with this issue
• NLMA 2005 wall calendar
• NLPDP bulletin
• OAAA Insurance Newsletter
NEXUS defined
A connected
group
or
series;
a bond,
a connection